It was one final victory lap for a spacecraft that provided astronauts with reliable access to the Space Station and low-Earth orbit, racking up 123 million miles over 25 flights and nearly two decades. Millions of people looked skyward, snapping photos and cheering as the Shuttle cruised overhead.

Here is a sampling of some of the best images from the journey, from NASA escort jets and fans on the ground.

Above:

Endeavour, bolted to the top of a Boeing 747, began its journey from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, September 19th. (Photo: NASA/Robert Markowitz)

A cameraman prepares for landing while a Korean Airlines cargo jet taxis on the runway. All air traffic was shut down for several minutes surrounding Endeavour’s arrival. (Photo: Jen Griffes)

After landing, the Shuttle Carrier taxied to the United Air Lines hangar at LAX. There, it will be detached and prepared for its 12-mile journey through the streets of Los Angeles in mid-October. (Photo: Jen Griffes)